What’s in a name?

From 1787 and for the first three decades of Australia’s history rum was the unofficial form of tender.

Rum was bartered with and used as a form of payment for all types of workers and items. Many famous Australian landmarks of today, were bought and built with Rum as the main currency, including the ‘Sydney Rum Hospital’.

In 1808 the Governor of New South Wales, William Bligh, ordered that rum be made an Illegal Tender. Our name, and the ship logo, pay homage to that time in Australian history, and our spirits aim to take on the highest quality modern premium spirits, anywhere in the world.

Premium Australian Flavours

For founder and Master Distiller, Codie Palmer the best rum in the world is made using dark brown cane sugar instead of the run of the mill and harsher tasting molasses blends that contain organic material.

Although it is a more expensive ingredient the 100% Australian, 100% natural moist dark brown sugar we use has a rich distinctive full flavour from natural molasses syrup and creates a far superior spirit.

What makes all our spirits unique, respected (and awarded) is they are distilled in a state of the art Still, in small batches (of 500 bottles), and spiced using indigenous fruits, plants, herbs and seeds. The spirits are actually distilled twice, with the later addition of five native ingredients: Kakadu Plum, Lemon Myrtle, Quandong, Wild Rosella and Wattleseed. These spices are distilled from their original source, providing us with a pure palate of flavour, without the need for sugar additives.

They blend beautifully to create a distinctive premium quality Australian taste.

Rum, Not Rum

By Australian law you are not allowed to put the word 'rum' on a bottle unless the cane spirit is aged in oak barrels or vats for at least two years.

Even though our first ‘rum’ is still a few months from being ready, we have already won numerous awards for our shorter-aged and un-aged cane spirits. So while we bide our time with our rum barrels sitting quietly in the background they are observing their younger siblings ‘Spiced’ and ‘1808 - Barely Legal’ go out and explore the world.

So, in June 2018 we can break out the glasses as we will have the first ever rum from the distillery available, which is sure to be incredible because the ‘base spirit’ has already won international acclaim.

Award-winning Cane Spirits

Our Spiced spirit is aged in Ex-Shiraz French Oak barrels (from a famous Margaret River winemaker) to infuse that traditional charred oak colouring, whereas the 1808 Barely Legal spirit is fresh, fragrant and slightly higher in alcohol content.

The aged Spiced has been awarded a Bronze at the IWSC in 2017, Silver and Platinum at the SIP in 2017, and a Gold medal at the 2017 Chinese Wine and Spirit Awards.

The 1808 Barely Legal received the award of a Bronze medal at the 2017 San Francisco World Spirits Competition, a Silver medal at the 2017 International Wine & Spirit Competition, and a Gold medal at the 2017 Chinese Wine and Spirit Awards.

Although no sugar is added, the end result is a naturally sweet spirit, free of sugar, that can be enjoyed on its own over ice, with your chosen mixer, or as a secret and special base to your favourite rum cocktail.